Take opener Out Of The Blue, a downtrodden tale of regret and busted friendships built around four chords and a simple 4/4 beat. Or Ludlow St., a waltzy, booze-soaked ode to getting wasted. There are liberal doses of Leonard Cohenish turns of phraze. Cohen, too, took his tales of longing from the C&W tradition.

This isn't a strike against the Strokes singer. The album adheres to a less-is-best philosophy, and the songs sound effortless. It's simple, straightforward and immediate, just like the first Strokes album.